Posted by
Billy on Monday, December 15, 2008 10:09:18 PM
A day after an Iraqi television journalist threw his shoes at President George W. Bush at a news conference here Sunday, his act of defiance toward the American commander in chief reverberated throughout Iraq and across the Arab world.
In Sadr City, the sprawling Baghdad suburb that has seen some of the most intense fighting between insurgents and U.S. soldiers since the 2003 invasion, thousands of people marched in his defense. In Syria, he was hailed as a hero. In Libya, he was given an award for courage.
Throughout much of the Arab world Monday, the shoe-throwing incident generated front-page headlines and continuing television news coverage. A thinly veiled glee could be discerned in much of the reporting, especially in the places where anti-American sentiment runs deepest.
Muntader al-Zaidi, 29, the correspondent for an independent Iraqi television station who threw his black dress shoes at Bush, remained in Iraqi custody Monday.
While he has not been formally charged, Iraqi officials said he faced up to seven years in prison for committing an act of aggression against a visiting head of state.
( I hope this young 29 year old man does have the full weight of the law brought down on him. To those who defend his actions would they like to have
Saddam Hussein still in power. If a lot of Iraq souls agree with this man it could help me to say lets leave Iraq. Read more on this issue
Shoe insult against Bush resounds in Arab world .)